www.derby.ac.uk/lhss

Stuff to do

At the University of Derby, we provide opportunities for local schools and colleges to become involved in what the university has to offer. As Ambassadors, we also visit schools and colleges outside of Derby, in order to broaden the student’s horizons outside of their local area. We ensure that the activities designed are age appropriate, ranging from interactive games, workshops and practical delivery.

On behalf of the School of Law, we are keen to get young individuals involved in what we do at the university, providing them with taster sessions, and activities in relation to law, enabling them to walk in the shoes of as student lawyer for a day or sometimes for a week.

One of the local schools we work very closely with is Landau Forte College. The students have the opportunity of spending a week with the School of Law and Criminology.

The sessions are usually led by lecturers; however, current University of Derby students can also be involved in the delivery. Having current students from the university assisting during the process, school students have the opportunity to ask questions and voice any queries they may have to both lecturers and students.

This process allows students to take part in debates relating to current issues, the opportunity of advocating, representing a fictional client in court. During this time, the students will also be provided with the relevant skills such as how to address the court, and how to present a case in court. During the experience the students will also be provided with the skill of negotiation, in view of obtaining the best possible outcome for their client, again this is based on a fictional scenario. Prior to all activities, the students will be provided with the basic skills and knowledge, in order to be able to deal with such a situation.

Some of the other activities the students can get involved in range from, Plea mitigation application and sentencing presentation, bail applications both with the use of a fictional character/s and also having the chance to visit the Crime Scene house which has recently been designed for criminology students, in order to obtain evidence from a fictional crime scene. This provides students with an understanding of how to manage and investigate a crime scene using safe and ethical practices.

University’s benefit

Community involvement is key! Planting a seed in the heads of these youngsters is what the university aims to do. The intention is to recruit prospective students. With the provision of the taster sessions, tours, an introduction to the study facilities and the opportunity to talk to current students, enables potential students to establish whether this is something they want to be a part of.

Taster sessions are available in certain faculties within the university, why not get involved!

For further information on the taster session, please view the following links.

In the second year, when I learnt that there was a student magazine at Derby; I was eager to get involved, I thought about writing articles and approached the media coordinator at the SU. We had a great conversation about student media and I realised it was really easy to get involved, so, I set about writing my first article.

After a few weeks, the editorial roles were being advertised for the magazine. I read the advert and looked at the application form online but hesitated at taking on so much responsibility. I didn’t think that I would be able to manage, especially with all the work and reading that’s involved in an English Literature degree. Yet, I was keen to explore what it was like working in a profession in which writing was involved. But being in two minds; I left it at that. A few days later, I was surprised by a phone call from the media coordinator, asking if I was interested in coming in for an interview for the editor position. She thought I was really enthusiastic when we last spoke and thought of me immediately when the position came up. I put my hesitation aside and went for it, literally and mentally!

I had had no time to practice for the interview so I just gave really honest, simple answers. The interviewers told me they would contact me once they had interviewed all the applicants. I really didn’t think I’d got the position. You can imagine my surprise when I got the ‘you have been successful’ phone call a few days later. Pleased as I could be, I decided to take on the position with full force because it’s is not every day you get to be the editor of a magazine. And university is so full of these type of opportunities. The best thing about doing these kind of roles at university is that it’s kind of a safe environment to challenge yourself.

Whilst I was an editor, I took the opportunity with both hands and set about calculating content, editorial and print deadlines for the next semester. I also called editorial meetings with the sub-editors, learnt how to proof read and edit for specific audiences. I also did something which had not been done before, I managed to release a brand new issue of the magazine at freshers’ fair which raised the profile of the magazine and gave it much needed publicity. Looking back now, I sometimes wonder how I managed to do all that and if somebody accredited me with all that responsibility, I probably would not believe it was possible. But it is possible and the editions of the magazine prove that it was possible. I think, university is a great place to challenge our mental restraints. Restraints that we often set ourselves because we haven’t seen ourselves in that capacity, and sometimes don’t dare to see ourselves out of our comfort zone. As I said before, university is a great place to challenge yourself, not just within your degree programme but through all the things that go on around uni too, because there’s lots of support to help you get it right.

When you first come to uni, the day that you hand in your final piece of coursework or sit your last exam may seem a million miles away.

In reality, it is. Three years is a long time and a lot will happen, you will learn and develop in many ways and you’ll hopefully love every minute of it as I have.

However, this time you have seems to flash past you before you even realise what’s going on.

This might seem like quite a depressing thought, but it really doesn’t have to be!

It should spur you on to make sure you get as much out of uni as you can.

I’m sure you’ve heard the old Latin expression ‘Carpe Diem’ before.

Well, in case you haven’t, it means seize the day. Or, in other words, make the most of it.

The overwhelming majority of people who have been or at currently at uni will tell you that it’s the best decision they ever made. That’s certainly how I view it anyway.

I’ve immersed myself in the lifestyle and taken a lot of opportunities that have come my way, and they have helped to shape my experience here in Derby.

Uni is a great time to make a lot of new friends and live your own life and get the most out of your time.

There’s so much that you can get involved in, such as the student radio station, an array of different sports teams, volunteering opportunities and much more.

It’s all there for you to take your pick from, and I even have some regret at not doing something more, specifically trying out for one of the football teams.

I’m not actually part of any societies or clubs, but I have taken a keen interest in sports nutrition and exercise since I arrived here, and that’s helped me to keep entertained and healthy at the same time.
I’ve also taken chances presented to me through my course, such as this job for one!

I have a friend who I’m not sure has made the most of their experience so far, but luckily for them they have more time left at uni than I do, so they hopefully will.

Having more experience than them, I feel like I should grab them, shake them and tell them to get out there and experience everything this period of your life has to offer rather than sitting inside the four walls of the flat most of the time.

This may suit some people down to the ground, which is fine!

But there is so much more to uni than simply going to lectures and writing essays.

It’s a time to really ‘seize the day’ and make the most of the time you have here, because it really will be gone before you know it.

And that’s my over-riding message to you about the whole experience.

I’m really sad that my time here is all but at an end, so I feel like I need to use my position as Digital Student Ambassador to give you my biggest piece of advice yet.

The University of Derby Gospel society (DUGC) is a new society put together by the current second year students at derby university. It a growing society which has just hit its 20 person margined. Through it is a new society it is has started to get in contact with other university in the area and was invited for the Leicester challenge. No auditions are required which means everyone is welcome, from professional singers, to those who just love to sing gospel society are welcoming of any race, religion, gender and vocal ability’s.

I am the social secretary for gospel society. My roles are to recorded events that the gospel society have or take part in, this includes rehearsals. I have also been charged with the over Making a logo for the society that best represent us as a group. I have also taking it upon myself to try and fine event so we can showcase the best University of Derby has to offer. I am also in charge of the Facebook page which we post songs, picture, videos and important information not just about DUGU but also about University of Derby in general. We are a part of the student union and are giving a great amount of support from them.

I’ve talked a lot about what is on offer at the university in my old posts. I like doing this, it shows what you can actually do as a uni student, what makes it different from home basically. But I realised today that I haven’t talked about the general things that just make it our uni.

This week is a good example actually, there has been a surprising amount of events in the Atrium, the central hub in university everything that isn’t a lecture or a sport goes on. I can’t remember the exact days all this stuff was on, but here’s a general list:

Every Tuesday and Thursday different food stalls set up for the day. My personal (and I’m pretty sure every student’s favourite) is Cyril’s Cupcakes. They sell some of the best and most varied brownies, cakes, sweet loafs and buns around, for as little as £1! Next to them is the pastry stall, having an equally wide range of savoury foods to help you get through the day. Just across from him is the crepe guy, whose name unfortunately escapes me, but you can guess what he sells. Tasty tasty!

Earlier this week the Careers service hosted a volunteering fair. Perfect for anyone looking for something cheap and good willed to do over summer, a number of different charitable organisations set up stalls to offer anything from building playgrounds in Africa, to exploring Caribbean jungles, to campaigning for Human Rights in Central Asia. Something I found particularly helpful was the Careers service offering a quick CV check on the same day.

At the top of the Atrium near the library, a local bike repair shop came in for the day to offer free checks on your bike, and other cheap additions. You could simply wheel your bike in through the double doors, drop it off there whilst you go for a lecture and pick it up when you’re done! Cheap and easy, and just another benefit of the Atrium!

As I’m sure many of you have (hopefully) heard, May 7th is the national election. Therefore to promote our form of democracy, the Students Union have been running a campaign to get as many students to register for the vote. By the end of the week the SU hope to have signed up over 500 students! Tables set up around the atrium on various days have helped to spread this word, where you can fill in the brief online registration form,

A recent complaint from the Student Parents Officer was that it is hard for student parents to multitask having children and completing a university degree as there is nowhere for the student to leave their child during study. In response to this the SU organised a day event in the centre of the Atrium so that the students could leave their children. There were bouncy castles, soft play equipment and even performances from our very own Derby Ravens Cheerleading squad to keep the kids entertained.

Something you will often see posted around uni are flyers featuring information on student Psychology studies going on at the university. T Block is the official Psychology area, with various different experiment rooms for the students to complete their studies in. Their tests need students to take part, so what better way to convince them of this than to have rewards! Chances of winning gift vouchers for shops, a simple cash bonus or even a selection of sweets is always enough to entice a few students into taking part. You will see these flyers posted around the campuses.

Though not often as fun as the other activities, guest lecturers often visit the uni to give one time lectures and seminars on certain subjects. Most of them might not be of any interest to you, but a few of them will spark your interest, and they are always free to attend.

For me it is this kind of thing that really makes uni a different style of life to home, there really can be anything you can think of on offer here!